Eastern States Exposition photoJoyce Siok, left, of Ludlow, and her friend Maureen Lyons, celebrate Siok's win in The Republican's "Back to Thinking Big" sweepstakes at the Big E in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Joyce Siok, of Ludlow, figures she’s made up in the past two weeks for all the years she didn’t get to visit the Eastern States Exposition.

She’s been at least 10 times over the past two weeks, sampled cheddar cheese in the Vermont building, savored a baked potato in the Maine building and bought a foot massager. And, she’s got an entire weekend ahead of her to enjoy still more time at the exposition.

With some help from The Republican, Siok’s had to “think big” about the Big E.

She’s the winner of the first of eight weekly prizes in The Republican’s “Back to Thinking Big Sweepstakes.” The sweepstakes, which continues with weekly contests through Nov. 7, celebrates the redesign of The Republican and the return of the full-sized Monday and Saturday editions of the newspaper.

Each week, the sweepstakes offers prizes valued at over $1,000, and a grand prize of a 2011 Toyota Prius, courtesy of Balise Toyota, will be awarded in November.

Siok’s prizes included four value passes for all 17 days of the Big E, VIP seats at the Big E Super Circus, a ride on the Mardi Gras float during one of the daily parades, four midway ride passes and four tickets to the Owl City concert.

“It was a $1,000 package,” said Noreen P. Tassinari, marketing director for the exposition, who described Siok as “a very enthusiastic winner. We pulled out all the stops for her.”

“I made up for all the years I wasn’t able to go,” Siok said of her Big E visits. She said she took friends with her and was also able to give the passes she could not use to friends she thought would go more than once.

“I’m thrilled to be a winner,” said Siok, who added that sampling food, from Indian fare to funnel cake, was among the things she enjoyed. “I like to try new things,” she said.

Siok said she spent more time than usual at the state buildings and also watched a lot of demonstrations in the Better Living Center, where she wound up buying a foot massager. A return trip this weekend may result in buying a long-handled duster she spotted earlier, Siok said.

The second weekly winner, who will receive a package of four passes to 11 shows at City Stage, valued as more than $1,500, will be selected on Oct. 9. This week’s contest offered an eight-hour rental of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ VIP bus.

For the fourth week, the prize is a $500 AAA travel voucher and a three-piece set of luggage valued at $500.